380 Sundancer vs. Cruisers 3870

MonacoMike

MonacoMike

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2009
14,721
Indiana lakes and Lake Michigan
Boat Info
2000 Cruisers 3870
8.2 Mercs
Engines
85 Sea Ray Monaco 197
260hp Alpha 1
I am looking at the 99-02 380DA and Several people at the dock have suggested looking at the 99-02 3870 Cruisers. What are the major differences?

Concerns I have for both boats are cored hulls, what parts exactly are cored?

7.4 water ingestion, does this affect both brands?

Thanks, MM
 
I've been on both in this vintage. I think you really need to get on both yourself before you can decide. Both are solid brands, great boats. The fit/finish/feel of the Sea Ray will be different than the Cruisers. If you and/or your admiral value the walk through windshield this will likely be the "thing" that would push you to a Cruisers. Otherwise I think the Sea Ray will generally feel nicer and higher quality. Of course most folks on this site will be quite biased, myself included.
 
And on the motors - I don't think the water ingestion was a concern on the 380's? I could be wrong. If it's got water lift (canister) mufflers it's no worry either way.
 
I don’t proclaim to have a lot of experience or knowledge re Cruisers but we climbed on a couple in the 35 - 38 foot range and I’ll be honest. I was not impressed with the fit and finish or the hardware. These 2 happen to have been neglected so that could’ve played a part. The gelcoat was really faded. However things like the anchor roller were the type used on Rinkers. Much smaller and cheaper looking than SR. You just need to get one and see for yourself.
 
Mike, I know a little about the subject. Call me if you want, I've been on a lot of both.
 
Water ingestion was a problem on 380DAs with 7.4s. When I shopped I crossed off any 380s with 7.4s. That's just me. I don't know about the Cruisers but the problem in the 380s, 340s and 410s of this era was due to the combination of underwater exhausts, log (horizontal) mufflers and the tendency for that generation 7.4 to create suckback due to GM's valve overlap.

I like that doorway leading to the Cruisers' aft cabin. Sea Ray has a curtain, which gives privacy (but not the level of a solid door) and a larger more open feel to the cabin.

Searay bottom is SOLID - no coring. Everything else is cored, as are most boats. I don't know if the Cruiser's bottom is solid.
 
Hi
About 4 years ago We had money down on an ‘02 cruisers 3570, and it failed the survey 10 minutes in. Delamination in the hull. The surveyor said it was a common problem on that vintage Cruisers. We decided to stick with Sea Ray after that experiance.
 
If you like the Cruisers, then take a look at the Regal 3860. You might like that even better. If you get in to the 04 or so you get a hardtop too, and maybe a bow Thruster. I looked at a few of them of that vintage and was kind of impressed with how much you get for your money, engine room access and aft cabin layout. That hardtop was very tempting.
There is a lot less of them out there though so you won’t have as many to choose from.
The one drawback that I noticed was that they had some kind of random problem with their cabinets in those years developing a cloudy finish. But at this point if a boat doesn’t have that problem, it probably never will.
In the end I decided to move up a bit more and get diesels so I stuck with Sea Ray.
 
rondds said:
Water ingestion was a problem on 380DAs with 7.4s. When I shopped I crossed off any 380s with 7.4s. That's just me. I don't know about the Cruisers but the problem in the 380s, 340s and 410s of this era was due to the combination of underwater exhausts, log (horizontal) mufflers and the tendency for that generation 7.4 to create suckback due to GM's valve overlap.

I like that doorway leading to the Cruisers' aft cabin. Sea Ray has a curtain, which gives privacy (but not the level of a solid door) and a larger more open feel to the cabin.

Searay bottom is SOLID - no coring. Everything else is cored, as are most boats. I don't know if the Cruiser's bottom is solid.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I have since been told the Cruisers do not have ingestion issues due to the different height they mounted the engines.

MM
 
pcarp said:
Hi
About 4 years ago We had money down on an ‘02 cruisers 3570, and it failed the survey 10 minutes in. Delamination in the hull. The surveyor said it was a common problem on that vintage Cruisers. We decided to stick with Sea Ray after that experiance.
Click to expand...

Thanks,

MM
 
JVM225 said:
If you like the Cruisers, then take a look at the Regal 3860. You might like that even better. If you get in to the 04 or so you get a hardtop too, and maybe a bow Thruster. I looked at a few of them of that vintage and was kind of impressed with how much you get for your money, engine room access and aft cabin layout. That hardtop was very tempting.
There is a lot less of them out there though so you won’t have as many to choose from.
The one drawback that I noticed was that they had some kind of random problem with their cabinets in those years developing a cloudy finish. But at this point if a boat doesn’t have that problem, it probably never will.
In the end I decided to move up a bit more and get diesels so I stuck with Sea Ray.
Click to expand...

I will look at it also.

MM
 
We now have been aboard an acquaintances 3870 and the Admiral loved the mid-cabin layout with its private stateroom. It would be cool to have quests just put their stuff back there and never see it again.

MM
 
JVM225 said:
If you like the Cruisers, then take a look at the Regal 3860. You might like that even better. If you get in to the 04 or so you get a hardtop too, and maybe a bow Thruster. I looked at a few of them of that vintage and was kind of impressed with how much you get for your money, engine room access and aft cabin layout. That hardtop was very tempting.
There is a lot less of them out there though so you won’t have as many to choose from.
The one drawback that I noticed was that they had some kind of random problem with their cabinets in those years developing a cloudy finish. But at this point if a boat doesn’t have that problem, it probably never will.
In the end I decided to move up a bit more and get diesels so I stuck with Sea Ray.
Click to expand...

The Regal looks nice, just out of my budget.

MM
 
I like the 3860 alot and at first thought that the private stateroom for guests which is closed off with its own door could be a great thing. But then I got to thinking about how I use the boat and realized that 90 percent of the time its just me alone or two of us onboard and that that closed off stateroom would most likely just become a dumping ground for random stuff and really barely if ever used at all. I also was not interested in two heads in a boat that size. The regal was also out of my budget as well.
 
Last edited:
The open-ness of the 380 cabin makes it appear larger. A wall closes things off visually.
 
Chada said:
I like the 3860 alot and at first thought that the private stateroom for guests which is closed off with its own door could be a great thing. But then I got to thinking about how I use the boat and realized that 90 percent of the time its just me alone or two of us onboard and that that closed off stateroom would most likely just become a dumping ground for random stuff and really barely if ever used at all. I also was not interested in two heads in a boat that size. The regal was also out of my budget as well.
Click to expand...

Had we gone with the Regal our plan was to keep the twin beds in the aft cabin pushed together and use that as our master cabin.
 
rondds said:
The open-ness of the 380 cabin makes it appear larger. A wall closes things off visually.
Click to expand...

Exactly. That was my thinking too. Putting that second head and stateroom closed off behind a door in that size boat would make the main salon seem alot smaller compared to a 370/380.
 
MonacoMike said:
7.4 water ingestion, does this affect both brands?
Click to expand...

Take a look at the Risers on the 7.4's. If they are taller (actually blocking the intakes) then you won't have the ingestion issue. They were factory retrofitted on later editions.

In this vintage, I'd absolutely go Sea Ray. In newer model years, I would very much consider a Regal or Cruisers.
 
We recently purchased a 380 dancer but looked at a few 3870-4270 cruisers.
very nice boats with a nice layout, walk through windshield was a nice feature as well. we were in one with open forward state room was not as closed off as the other models we saw.

I dont think you can go wrong with either of those options, good luck and post pics
 
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